Favorite NPC's

[Jeivar]

What would RPG's be without colorful NPC's to mindlessly tag along with our PC's and provide tragic backstories and combat assistance? Really? And what are all our favorites?

From the Baldur's Gate series, I'll cast my votes for Minsc and Jaheira. I don't think Minsc needs any introduction or justification, and I just love Jaheira's acid tongue, combined with her iron will and unbending sense of justice and duty. Yes, she was pretty bitchy in the first one, but anyone who's that good at delivering snark can be forgiven for a lot, in my opinion.

Next up is Sulik, from Fallout 2. An arguably insane tribal warrior who is the mouthpiece of various spirits, and in a world of laser guns, powered armor and huge mutants chooses to charge directly at anything hostile and smash it with a sledgehammer. Or a knife. Or his bare hands. And does it so very, very well. We and I love Sulik. :)

Aaand then from Jade Empire, there's Silk Fox, aka Sun Lian, aka The Heavenly Lily, aka probably something else. A lovably haughty princess who fights the corruption threatening HER empire by dressing in a harem girl ninja outfit and personally kicking ass. She's not QUITE as good at snark as Jaheira, but I like her multidimensional character: Despite a sometimes unpleasant personality she is ultimately driven by a strong sense of duty and compassion, and if guided by the right kind of PC, matures and comes to appreciate other people more.

Plus, (SPOILER) during the cutscene at the end of the battle of Dirge I get the feeling she's trying to shield little Wild Flower with her own body. And I'm just a sucker for characters that start of as rather unlikeable, but grow more noble and selfless as the story progresses.

I'll probably think of more later, but for now it's bedtime. :)

[Volug]

Anyone from Okami.

So full of life ^_^

[Hoggy]

The Collosi and Agro, Shadow of the Colossus.

[chiasaur11]

Fwiffo in Star Control two. Cowardly sidekicks are fun.

Mario RPGs have fun guys too.

[u-gotNOgame]

One of the most hilarious NPC's ever created was HK-47 from both KoToR I and KoToR II. Even with all of TSL short comings (buggy ending, rushed production ect.) HK provided all the comic relief you could ask for and even had some insight into the first one if you raised your skills high enough.

-UGNG

[chiasaur11]

One of the most hilarious NPC's ever created was HK-47 from both KoToR I and KoToR II. Even with all of TSL short comings (buggy ending, rushed production ect.) HK provided all the comic relief you could ask for and even had some insight into the first one if you raised your skills high enough.

-UGNG

Forgot about him.
He's awesome.

[Sneak]

Timmy, from Giants: Citizen Kabuto.

I miss the lil guy. :smallfrown:

[Edan]

Lord British, he says you can take anything from his castle but heaven help you if you try to steal his dinner fork...

Not to mention all the secret ways you can figure out to kill him in each game.

[St.Sinner]

I'd have to vote for Dak'kon, Morte, and Fall-From-Grace from Planescape: Torment - truly original and interesting characters, and so are the rest of the cast. In Baldur's Gate my favourite is Sarevok. Bad guy gone good - a little cliched, but I love his character and personality.

[SurlySeraph]

Minsc brings the win.
I realize that people love to hate on Halo, but Sergeant Johnson is just awesome. Especially his extended speeches.

[Pronounceable]

HK-47 wins on so many levels it's not even funny...

[Dragor]

Fargoth from Morrowind. Can you get any more creepy than hearing

I have a feeling you and I are going to become --very-- close...

first time through the game? I ran away from the guy as soon as possible. I thought he was not a guy I was gonna associate with closely. Creepy wood elves.

[Dhavaer]

Esteemed war toad Urdnot Wrex.

[Emperor Ing]

She (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq9TnI7ssTU)og (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thxz9KzQ83s&feature=related)or (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaWDA8h3-pU&feature=related)ath. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTix4C-1r6w&feature=related)

And HK-47. Can never forget HK 47! :smallwink:

[Avilan the Grey]

BG 1: Garrick (was that his name, the bard?), The young werewolf girl you couldn't save (very sad story!), Viconia, Shar-Teel

BG 2: Jan, Viconia, Imoen, Massy

PS Torment: Everyone!!!

[Mx.Silver]

PS Torment: Everyone!!!

This.


Baldur's Gate: Minsc, Xan, Edwin and Kivan (due to how rdiculously powerful he was).

Baldur's Gate 2: Minsc, Edwin, Yoshimo. Actually, all of them were pretty damn good. Except Anomen. He sucked more than a turbo charged vaccum cleaner.

Mask of the Betrayer: Gann and Kaelyn. And Kaji. Definitely Kaji.

[Breltar]

Final Fantasy 2 (US) - Cid

[Crispy Dave]

the mole from banjo kazooie he was the first npc I ever met in a video game

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

Hmmmm, many people on this list are PC's, though. They are playable characters. Or am I misunderstanding the use of NPC? Is it primary characters and non-primary characters?

If it means Non-Primary, then Tails!!

If it means non-player, then Interceptor from Final Fantasy III/VI. That dog rocked!!

Max from Sam and Max Hit the Road fits both categories!!

[Tengu_temp]

Hmmmm, many people on this list are PC's, though. They are playable characters. Or am I misunderstanding the use of NPC? Is it primary characters and non-primary characters?


Judging the the OP's choice of characters, I assume that he only played western RPGs where you usually create the main character. So, at least for me, this thread means "favorite characters you do not create yourself".

And hoo boy, there's a crapload of them for me.

[mangosta71]

Off the top of my head,

From Fallout 2: Cassidy
Baldur's Gate 1 & 2: Monty and Xzar, Viconia, Minsc. Jaheira was fun as well, but I always had to get Khalid killed off in 1 because he was completely useless.
KotOR: HK-47, Dark Bastila
Warcraft: Maiev. Loved the Warden in TFT, and she's still cool when you run across her in WoW.
Mass Effect: Ashley, Garrus
Dark Messiah of Might & Magic: Xana

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

Judging the the OP's choice of characters, I assume that he only played western RPGs where you usually create the main character. So, at least for me, this thread means "favorite characters you do not create yourself".

And hoo boy, there's a crapload of them for me.

Oh, okay! Thanks!!

[Tengu_temp]

Let's start by listing the non-obscure games where I can mention only the names of characters and everyone will know what I'm talking about:

Final Fantasy 6: Locke, Celes, Edgar, Sabin, Setzer
Final Fantasy 7: Red XIII, Yuffie, Vincent, Cid
Fallout 2: Marcus
BG2: Minsc, Jan, Keldorn, Mazzy
Warcraft 3: Thrall, Jaina, Uther, Cairne, Muradin
Planescape: Torment: TNO (who might not belong here, on second thought), Morte, Dak'kon, Annah, Fall-From-Grace, Nordom
Chrono Trigger: everyone, but Frog especially

[Ganurath]

No love for Haskill?

[JMobius]

I've never understood the HK-47 fandom. I found him pretty dull, and a lousy fighter to boot.

My favorites go to NWN2's Ammon Jerro, as well as pretty much everyone in the party for MotB. But not the wizard. She bored me.

[arguskos]

I have lots of favorites (many have been stated already), but one hasn't been:

From Baldur's Gate 2, your foe, Jonaleth Irenicus. Man, I loved Jon as a villain, he was just so damn... EVIL. It just seeped from him. First time I played, the damn did a great job of making me HATE him, to the point that I was thinking of how much I despised him during school one day, and I realized, "wait, he's a game character, not a person, and I'm devoting this much effort to hating him? Wow, good job guys!"

-argus

[Muz]

Murray, the invicible demonic skull from Curse of Monkey Island. :smallcool: Snarky, enthusiastic, he never gives up on his dreams of striding through the gates of hell with the heads of his enemies impaled on a spike...despite the fact that he's just an immobile skull.

Come to think of it, he really does get around a lot for an immobile skull. Hmm.:smallconfused:

Player: "You're about as fearsome as a doorstop."
Murray: "Is it a really EVIL-looking doorstop?" :xykon:

Player: "Do you know anything about lifting curses?"
Murray: "Oh, right. I know a lot about lifting curses. That's why I'm a disembodied talking skull sitting on top of a spike in the middle of a swamp!" :xykon:

[Knaight]

Midna from the last Zelda game ranks high. At first she's a calculating bitch who is using your character masterfully, but she gets really sympathetic by the end, and the snark is nice. Plus the badass non personality part does help.

[Sneak]

Murray, the invicible demonic skull from Curse of Monkey Island. :smallcool: Snarky, enthusiastic, he never gives up on his dreams of striding through the gates of hell with the heads of his enemies impaled on a spike...despite the fact that he's just an immobile skull.

Come to think of it, he really does get around a lot for an immobile skull. Hmm.:smallconfused:

Player: "You're about as fearsome as a doorstop."
Murray: "Is it a really EVIL-looking doorstop?" :xykon:

Player: "Do you know anything about lifting curses?"
Murray: "Oh, right. I know a lot about lifting curses. That's why I'm a disembodied talking skull sitting on top of a spike in the middle of a swamp!" :xykon:

Oh! Yes! I forgot how awesome Murray is/was! :smallbiggrin:

[Mx.Silver]

Judging the the OP's choice of characters, I assume that he only played western RPGs where you usually create the main character. So, at least for me, this thread means "favorite characters you do not create yourself".

And hoo boy, there's a crapload of them for me.

Oh, we're allowed JRPG characters too?

Damn, my list is going to have to be expanded.


pretty much everyone in the party for MotB. But not the wizard. She bored me.
But Kaji...

[Enlong]

Will's quirky companions from Illusion of Gaia were always a joy, really.

Then there's General Leo fron FFVI. Especially interesting 'cause the game lets you play as him for a battle, just to make his death hit harder.

[Weiser_Cain]

Juhani from KOTOR

Neeshka from nwn get a mention but they cut too much from that game

[Triaxx]

Legend of Dragoon: Lavitz, Hashkel, Kongol, Rose.
FF9: Amarant, Blank, Steiner.
Star Ocean: Ashton, Precis, Opera.
FF8: Zell, Quistis, Irvine
FF7: Nanaki, Cid
FFT: Agrias, Wiegraf, Mustadio, Beowulf, Reis. And Cloud, who is hilariously stupid.

BG1/2: Minsc and Boo, Mazzy.
Halo: Sargeant Johnson, Foehammer
Sacred: Wilbur. I got pretty attached to him, since I got lost on my first play through and he followed me faithfully around until the story caught up with him.
Fallout 2: Sulik, Cassidy, Algernon, Jules, Smitty, Becky, Valerie, McClure, The crazy in the MB.

[Tirian]

G (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URCUPat-sY8&feature=related) - L (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxKLz1VKNbs&feature=related) - O (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npBRexcoMxs) - TT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJaC0Rz6sas&feature=related) - I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ipFSCgrXHA&feature=related) - S (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxlvpja8Ig&feature=related).

And I also think that Floyd from Planetfall deserves a shout-out, as the first NPC with any appreciable characterization. Old school rocks!

[Hoggy]

GlaDOS/SHODAN.

[Another_Poet]

Will's quirky companions from Illusion of Gaia were always a joy, really.

Then there's General Leo fron FFVI. Especially interesting 'cause the game lets you play as him for a battle, just to make his death hit harder.

I see we have the same taste in NPCs.

I consider myself NINJA'D!

[Hzurr]

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned.

Hmm...the Companion Cube, maybe?

[Kimusabe]

(most of these have already been mentioned)

SEPHIROTH (from FF7, duh!) :smallbiggrin:
GLaDOS and the Companion Cube from Portal,
and Alyx Vance and Dog from Half-Life 2.